Title: Transfer of 137Cs and 60Co in a waste retention pond with emphasis on aquatic insects

Abstract

The objectives of this research were (1) to analyze the transfers of 137Cs and 60Co in a retention pond, with emphasis on aquatic insects and (2) to determine if detectable concentrations of these radionuclides are exported by emerging aquatic insects. We analyzed the radionuclide concentrations in the following components: water solution, bottom sediments, suspended particulate matter, plankton, floating mats of filamentous algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and emerging aquatic insects. Samples were collected quarterly from June 1981 to April 1982. The lowest concentrations (in picocuries per milliliter) occurred in solution (range: 1.4 X 10(2) to 3.2 X 10(2) for 137Cs and 8.1 X 10(-1) to 2.2 X 10(0) for 60Co). The highest concentrations (in picocuries per gram dry weight) occurred in the sediments (range: 1.5 X 10(4) to 1.1 X 10(8) for 137Cs and 1.0 X 10(2) to 4.3 X 10(6) for 60Co). The primary producers and aquatic insect consumers had concentrations of both radionuclides that were two to four orders of magnitude higher than the respective concentrations dissolved in water but two to three orders of magnitude lower than the concentrations in the sediments. The concentrations of both radionuclides decreased successively at higher trophic levels. There were considerable temporal variations asmore » the radionuclides cycled among the abiotic and biotic components of the pond. Emerging adult aquatic insects had lower concentrations of both radionuclides than the immature stages that lived in the pond (adult/immature ratio about 0.25). Because the emerging adult insects contain detectable concentrations of radionuclides, have relatively long life spans, and disperse away from the aquatic habitat, we conclude that adult aquatic insects would be effective biological monitors.« less

@article{osti_5532199,
title = {Transfer of 137Cs and 60Co in a waste retention pond with emphasis on aquatic insects},
author = {Voshell, J.R. Jr. and Eldridge, J.S. and Oakes, T.W.},
abstractNote = {The objectives of this research were (1) to analyze the transfers of 137Cs and 60Co in a retention pond, with emphasis on aquatic insects and (2) to determine if detectable concentrations of these radionuclides are exported by emerging aquatic insects. We analyzed the radionuclide concentrations in the following components: water solution, bottom sediments, suspended particulate matter, plankton, floating mats of filamentous algae, benthic macroinvertebrates, and emerging aquatic insects. Samples were collected quarterly from June 1981 to April 1982. The lowest concentrations (in picocuries per milliliter) occurred in solution (range: 1.4 X 10(2) to 3.2 X 10(2) for 137Cs and 8.1 X 10(-1) to 2.2 X 10(0) for 60Co). The highest concentrations (in picocuries per gram dry weight) occurred in the sediments (range: 1.5 X 10(4) to 1.1 X 10(8) for 137Cs and 1.0 X 10(2) to 4.3 X 10(6) for 60Co). The primary producers and aquatic insect consumers had concentrations of both radionuclides that were two to four orders of magnitude higher than the respective concentrations dissolved in water but two to three orders of magnitude lower than the concentrations in the sediments. The concentrations of both radionuclides decreased successively at higher trophic levels. There were considerable temporal variations as the radionuclides cycled among the abiotic and biotic components of the pond. Emerging adult aquatic insects had lower concentrations of both radionuclides than the immature stages that lived in the pond (adult/immature ratio about 0.25). Because the emerging adult insects contain detectable concentrations of radionuclides, have relatively long life spans, and disperse away from the aquatic habitat, we conclude that adult aquatic insects would be effective biological monitors.},
doi = {10.1097/00004032-198511000-00010},
journal = {Health Phys.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 5,
place = {United States},
year = 1985,
month =
}

TLD-100 powder is calibrated in terms of absorbed dose to water Dw, using the protocols AAPM TG61, AAPM TG43 and IAEA-TRS 398, for the energy of RX 50, 250 kVp, 137Cs and 60Co respectively. The calibration curves, TLD Response R versus Dw, are fitted by weighted least square by a quadratic polynomials; which are validated with the lack of fit and the Anderson-Darling normality test. The slope of these curves corresponds to the sensibility factor: Fs R/DW, [Fs] = nC Gy-1. The expanded uncertainties U's for these factors are obtained from the ANOVA tables. Later, the Fs' values are interpolatedmore » using the effective energy hvefec for the 192Ir. The SSDL sent a set of capsules with powder TLD-100 for two Hospitals. These irradiated them a nominal dose of Dw = 2 Gy. The results determined at SSDL are: for the Hospital A the Dw is overestimated in order to 4.8% and the Hospital B underestimates it in the range from -1.4% to -17.5%.« less

The purposes of the study were to: 1) evaluate the accuracy of the concentration factor method in determining the amount of lead pollution in the Chalus River, and 2) determine if several orders of aquatic insects would give repeatable results comparable to water sample analysis by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.

{sup 137}Cesium and other contaminants have leaked from high level waste (HLW) single-shell storage tanks (SSTs) at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. {sup 137}Cesium and other contaminants have leaked from single-shell storage tanks (SSTs) into coarse-textured, relatively unweathered unconsolidated sediments. Contaminated sediments were retrieved from beneath a leaky SST to investigate the distribution of adsorbed {sup 137}Cs{sup +} across different sediment size fractions. All fractions contained mica (biotite, muscovite, vermiculatized biotite), quartz, and plagioclase along with smectite and kaolinite in the clay-size fraction. A phosphor-plate autoradiograph method was used to identify particular sediment particles responsible for retaining {sup 137}Cs{supmore » +}. The Cs-bearing particles were found to be individual mica flakes or agglomerated smectite, mica, quartz, and plagioclase. Of these, only the micaceous component was capable of sorbing Cs{sup +} strongly. Sorbed {sup 137}Cs{sup +} could not be significantly removed from sediments by leaching with dithionite citrate buffer or KOH, but a fraction of the sorbed {sup 137}Cs{sup +} (5?22%) was desorbable with solutions containing an excess of Rb{sup +}. The small amount of {sup 137}Cs{sup +} that might be mobilized by migrating fluids in the future would likely sorb to nearby micaceous clasts in downgradient sediments.« less

The effect of simultaneous oral administration of a mixture of calcium alginate, ferrihexacyanoferrate(II) and KI and of the chelating agent zinc diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (Zn-DTPA) on the retention of radioactive Sr, Cs, I and Ce was investigated in 7-week-old female rats. The respective antidotes were administered in food during the first three days of the experiment and the radionuclides were administered on the second day of the experiment. The radionuclide retention was determined in the whole body, carcass, gut, liver, kidneys and respective critical organs six days after oral administration of 85Sr, 137Cs, 131I and intraperitoneal administration of 141Ce and one daymore » after oral administration of 141Ce. Simultaneous oral administration of the four therapeutic agents reduced the retention of radioactive Sr, Cs and I administered orally and Ce applied intraperitoneally. Zn-DTPA did not diminish efficacy of antidotes from the mixture nor did the mixture significantly alter the effect of Zn-DTPA. Simultaneous oral administration of calcium alginate, ferrihexacyanoferrate(II), KI and Zn-DTPA might present a convenient method for delayed therapy especially in cases of prolonged increased environmental exposure to several radionuclides.« less